I have been battling Cushings Disease for many years. I had transphenodial surgery at the Mayo Clini-Rochester in April of 2008.

Recently my numbers were high again and I can feel that my Cushings is back. I just got done with the long testing process and am waiting to confirm a appointment for a bilateral adrenalectomy. If anyone has had a BLA I would appreciate an e mail. I would like to hear it all- the good, bad and the ugly. I would also like to know if this made your quality of life any better and tips and tricks for recovery. I am very scared. This decision is a lifetime change but one I am willing to take becuase of how miserable I feel now.

I have two children and a husband that although are VERY supportive still need their Mom/wife to be an active part of their lives. Thank you!

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I was diagnosed with Cushing’s Disease January 2011. The doctors suspect I was suffering from it for at least 2 years prior to diagnosis.

I originaly thought I was just losing weight and having skin problems due to stress and getting older – even though I was still in my mid-late twenties.

A family friend and nurse told my mom one day that she thought I had Cushings and encouraged my mom to get me to look into it. Thank goodness I did. I had honestly nearly given up because I was so ashamed to go to doctors who just told me I needed to work out more and eat less. I was making an effort to lose weight but nothing worked! I told my mom no at first but after a few phone calls of her crying and begging me to go I finally agreed. I sat down at my computer and googled symptoms and sure enough I fit almost every descriptor on the Cushings list.

It took a few months to get into a specialist but my family doctor rushed it. I was so lucky to have this doctor. She was actually just covering for my regular doctor but she was the first one to take me seriously and really investigate my concerns.

Now, two years and three pituitary surgeries later things are looking good! I am back to work and feeling better than I can remember feeling in a long time. I have kept a blog sporadically documenting my experiences with Cushings that I invite you to read for more details on my bio. I hope that my story can be an inspiration to those who are feeling hopeless. I often felt that way but tried to stay positive and believe that one day I would be cured and fingers crossed, it seems like I am 🙂

I Am 52 yrs. old . My sympmtoms began when I was 40 yrs. old. I was at at a yearly physical. I was extremeley athletic. I used to ren 70 miles a week. when I was 17 to 19… dopamine I believe kept me well.

One year prior to my symptoms ..I was 39. I was very fatiquiged..my children were suffwering. They were 6 and 9. They are now 17 and 20. I feel I stopped raising them at this age. If any of you have seen the Sting the movie with Paul Newman obbserve that he dunked his head in ice. I was at Lincoln city , Oregon when I attemted this. procedure. I say procedure and I didn’t even know a tumor was forming on my pituairy gland. Who kneew? Not me. It didn’t even occur to me that a growth was growing in my brain!!

I went from 135lb to 265lb. in 3 months. I was so frightented!!!!!!!!!! My doctor told me to go to an encronologist…very important DOCTOR!!! Most doctors do not have the slighist idea what Cuhing’s is ..Dogs ,horses, and PEOPLE get it. Some doctors are either dumb or totally ignorant. The E. doctor said it looked like I had Cushing’s syndrome. I then made him fall off his chair in laughfter! My family and I recently put a family dog down with Cushing’s disease. I wanted to know if it was contagious?? No, he said wiping his eyes from laughing. He appologigized when I started crying.. I wanted to know how I got it. My dogs was in the adrenal glands. Fatal. We said goog-bye to BUDDY>> My doctor said he hoped I did not have the same dianosis.

After thousands of dollars later..Thank goodness we had great West insuanarce..Get it if you can. Covered everything 100 percent. Discovered a benign tumor on my left pituiary gland. They removed it through my nose . I also had my 9th sinus surgury. It was also from my left nostril. I got fake diabetes. It went away when I left the hospital. The weight started dropping with the help of a nutrisionist. I was taking hydrocortisone. pills. I lost 65 lbs. A few years later my head started hurtimg worse.

After One day of test at a major University OHSU I was diagnosed again with the same tumor . but 3x’s bigger . Surgery through my mouth. Weight came back and some. I asked what my options were? #00lbs, heart attack and death. They told me to remove my adrenal glands. I did. I now have diabetes ,I take 200mg. because my thyroid is so large. Guiess what?? My immunec system is nill.

I wanted to be healthy I loved bananas… get what I got ?? I got the e-coli scare with the spinacach in the bag. E.R. 3 weeks . Everyone in yellow smocks.. No visitors! June 2007… I lost 40 lbs. I was going out to lunch with my husband saw double. Uncontrollable votimiting… E.R. Encronologist. or family doctor. After driving 90 miles an hour 45 minutes away we arrived. I was talking all the way through it . No pulse ..I said am I dead? My doctor said Shut up. No heartbeat. I said am I dead yet? She said shut up agin. I wass vvvvvvvvv teching. I said where are the cameras for HOUSE the t.v. show. I sell novelty neck ties my huband Allen just so happenned to be wearing a Bug’s Bunny tie…I guess you know what i said ..What’s up doc??

The Paramedic behind me was 2x’s larger than my husband He said I was going to the hospital. They put me in the ambulance. Allen asked my husband if he wanted to come . He said he would follow. When they closed the door Allen said if you feel anytjhing hit my knee. 10 seconds later I hit his knee as hard as I could. I felt an elephant!! If you want me to tell you what death is ask me. I died for 5 seconds. plus I was clinically dead at the doctor’s office. My potassium level was7 normal is 4.2 to 5. If anyone has seen Austin Powers drinking poop quadruaple it I attempted to drink it. Started vomiting it. A Doctor was walking by…USE ANOTHER ORAFACE!!!! The butt. I was drowning. Needless to say , my children were screwed up again.. I called the oldest Brandon ,the youngest Nathan and a very nice gentleman if i wasn’t married I would marry him…SHAROn 14, MEGAN 11 and ALLEN!! I now take fludocrt and hydrocortisone @ 4:00 P.M. everydyt. If I miss two consecutive days I will die.

I am also Bi polar I feel their is a correlation with Cushing’s disease. I take Depacote etc. 12 more pills plus hydrocortosone in the morning too! I Have 2 books at home Manic Depressive Disorder. By Fredrick Goodwin and Jay Jamison. Worth reading. Stated Cushing:s disease is derived and assossiated with bipolar. I believe I have been bi polar from birth. Only episodes I had as a child…TRAUMA!!!!! I now have addison’s disease too! What else could go wrong?

By the way, I have a theory bipolar is assosiated chromosome 13. I also think cancer is a virus. Hit or miss. Cushing’s is fatal i not treated properly. Adrenalectomies are the worst . Take Vicatin .I threw it at my husband I did not want to get addicted to it like House. I used ice 24/7. I won’t go into the detatails it was bad. If you do get one , move I used a swifter, and a cane. No wheel chair or death for me!! I’m a fighter!!

Thank you for allowing me me to tell my story. I want to write a book about my experiences. I hope there is a publisher out there so I can get my Life story across!!

Diagnosed in 2003 with a Carcinoid Lung Tumour which was surgically removed in May 2003.

After a number of years of “not feeling myself” and consulting with the family doctor, it wasn’t until I showed him hair growth on my face and asked him if we had completed all and every test possible related to hormones.

Two tests to do; one was cortisol and the other testesterone. Results were in the next day, showing cortisol levels four times the normal range. Bingo! it was like I had won the lottery.

A flurry of additional tests were conducted, a visit to an Internal Medicine Specialist and finally a referral to the Endocrinologists at the University Hospital. On meeting the endocrinologist her first words were: “It’s very nice to meet you. I’m very excited you were able to come in today’. Is she nuts, I thought. Since when is a doctor “excited” to meet a patient? This was the beginning of a most wonderful patient/doctor relationship and it continues today along with the full team of endocrins at this hospital.

It was confirmed I had Ectopic Cushing’s Syndrome in February 2011. My health deteriorated rapidly with no sign of any tumour which was likely the cause of the extremely elevated ACTH and Cortisol levels. A Bilateral Adrenalectomy was performed in May 2011 and in November 2011 the elusive lung tumour was sighted in the same location as the one removed in 2003. It has not grown in the last six months so it is being left “undisturbed” at this stage.